Inaugural UFC flyweight champion Nicco Montano has spent the better part of a year on the sidelines since she won the belt. She's had to listen to the detractors and keep trudging along as she's faced various health issues.

Now, however, she is ready to return, as she'll put her belt on the line against Valentina Shevchenko in the UFC 228 co-main event on Saturday in Dallas, Texas.

In the lead-up to the fight, Montano held a media scrum with reporters, where she discussed her rocky road back to the Octagon, the fight with Shevchenko, and life on the reservation.